Antisemitism Row Alarms Lithuanian Leaders Ahead of Election

(Bloomberg) -- Lithuania’s main political forces have come together against the rise of a new party whose leader is on trial for anti-Semitic statements as the country heads into parliamentary elections next month.

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The newly-established the Dawn of Nemunas party has gained popularity in recent polls and could emerge as kingmaker in coalition talks following the Oct. 13 vote. The Baltic nation’s leaders are increasingly concerned over its possible role in future governments.

The controversy centers around party leader and former deputy speaker of parliament Remigijus Zemaitaitis. The constitutional court ruled this year that he violated a parliamentary oath by using anti-Semitic language in a Facebook post criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Zemaitaitis rejected the accusations and gave up his seat to be able to stand in October elections. This month, the authorities opened a criminal case against him for allegedly inciting hatred. The 42-year-old denies any wrongdoing.

President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte warned earlier this week of a damage to Lithuania’s international standing if the party were to join the next ruling coalition.

“When I say that our partners are taking notice, I mean it,” Nauseda told Delfi television on Monday, citing the US and Germany. “Scars are too painful, too many stigmas.”

The issue has particular historical resonance for the Baltic nation because local collaborators helped the Nazis murder some 90% of the Lithuanian Jewish population in the Holocaust.

Lithuania sits between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a heavily armed Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea. The Baltic nation has sought increased military presence from its allies in NATO and the European Union since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than two years ago.

The president called on the next election winners to act “responsibly when choosing partners” for the coalition.

Cordon Sanitaire

Zemaitaitis is no newcomer to politics, but his criticism of Lithuania’s ruling parties has helped him secure backing from regional voters distrustful of the establishment.

An August poll from Baltijos Tyrimai pollster showed the Dawn of Nemunas fifth in the race with 8% support. Social Democrats would win the biggest, 15.7% share of the vote, forcing the party to seek support of two or three other partners to form a government. Dawn of Nemunas said it is willing to work with left-wing opposition.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, the head of the ruling Homeland Union, called on his Social Democratic rivals to create a “cordon sanitaire” to prevent Zemaitaitis from gaining power. The party initially welcomed the Dawn of Nemunas as a possible partner after elections, but changes its position following the president’s warnings.

“A chance of working in a coalition is really unthinkable today,” Vilija Blinkeviciute, the head of the Social Democratic Party, said last week, adding that “lines have been crossed.”

(Updates with background in 7th paragraph.)

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